Chapter 115: Thorny Glances

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Thorny Glances

Vivian nodded. "Thank you, Irene. I will work hard. One day, I will also be able to make popular movies."

Irene nodded with a smile. "That’s the spirit. When you attend an awards ceremony for the first time, I’ll help you pick out a dress. We’ll do just like today—try on twenty sets, and pick the one that suits you best."

"Really?" Vivian’s eyes lit up.

"Of course." Irene ruffled her hair. "But for now, let me test you. Which dress do you think suits me best?"

Vivian stood up and looked around, her eyes sweeping over every dress before finally settling on the red tweed jacket from Versace.

Irene followed her gaze and was somewhat surprised by Vivian’s keenness. It seemed that having followed her for some time, Vivian had truly grasped her preferences.

"This red tweed suit really suits you. If you get Loren to choose a dark blue suit to match, you’ll look like a perfect pair walking down the red carpet." Vivian looked at Irene expectantly.

"I think you’re right." Irene smiled at this.

The red carpet outside the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles was already surrounded by flashlights and crowds by six o’clock in the evening.

Various celebrities arrived in luxury cars one after another. The shimmer of their gowns and the screams of fans intertwined, pushing the atmosphere of the awards ceremony to a climax.

Irene wore that red tweed jacket from Versace, paired with a black silk camisole underneath and matching wide-leg trousers.

The cuffs of the trousers just revealed her ankles, complemented by silver stilettos. A thin pearl necklace around her neck made her look elegant yet capable.

Loren was wearing a custom dark blue suit with a white shirt underneath. He wore no tie, and the collar was casually left open with two buttons undone.

The silver watch peeking out from his cuff subtly echoed Irene’s necklace. As they walked the red carpet, the combination of red and dark blue was both contrasting and harmonious, like a carefully designed pictorial.

Various shouts erupted from the crowd, followed immediately by the simultaneous flashes of dozens of cameras, with ’click’ sounds rising one after another.

Loren reached out naturally, gently putting his arm around Irene’s waist, and the two walked in step toward the center of the red carpet.

Walking to the middle of the red carpet, MTV host Leah immediately approached with a microphone in hand, a surprised smile on her face.

"Irene! Long time no see! First of all, congratulations to Mean Girls for being nominated for three major awards! This red suit today is stunning. The Versace haute couture suits you perfectly!"

"Thank you for the compliment!" Irene smiled gracefully.

The host then turned her gaze to Loren and asked curiously, "And who is this handsome gentleman?"

Irene held Loren’s hand, her fingers gently interlaced with his. A natural smile appeared on her face as she said clearly into the microphone,

"This is Loren, a very outstanding doctor. At the same time, he is also my boyfriend. We have been together for a while, and I wanted to take this opportunity at the awards ceremony to formally introduce him to everyone."

As soon as she finished speaking, the scene erupted in cheers! Fans shouted excitedly, and the media’s camera flashes became even more frequent. Leah also exclaimed with surprise,

"My god! This is so sweet! I’d never heard anything about this before. What a huge surprise! Loren, can you tell us how it feels to accompany Irene to an awards ceremony like this for the first time?"

Loren took the microphone, his tone gentle but firm. "It is an honor to accompany her. I have always known how much she has sacrificed for her films, and I am truly very happy to see her work recognized today."

The host immediately made a sound of envy. "Irene brought her boyfriend today. Does that mean you are confident about winning?"

The microphone was still in Loren’s hand. She leaned in and joked, "To be honest, I don’t have much confidence. Everyone’s work is very popular. I brought him along just in case I don’t win, so I can cry in his arms."

The scene immediately burst into laughter.

"Director Irene is too modest. I believe that tonight you will be able to laugh while holding your boyfriend’s hand, rather than crying in his arms."

After finishing the red carpet, the two walked into the theater lounge. Shelly came up to them. "The interviews will be conducted after the awards ceremony. Everything is arranged."

Irene nodded, adjusted her outfit, and then, holding Loren’s hand, followed the usher’s directions toward the front-row seats.

As a popular nominated film, Mean Girls was arranged in the core area near the stage.

Along the way, peers kept coming up to greet them. There were sincere congratulations on the film’s nomination, as well as curious teasing about the two publicizing their relationship. Irene responded to each with a smile.

Just as they were about to be seated, an inexplicable sense of oppression suddenly struck.

Irene subconsciously looked up, her gaze passing through the crowd and landing on a seat diagonally in front. Mel Gibson was holding a wine glass, his gaze fixed straight at her. There was not a hint of a smile in his eyes. Instead, there was a sharp scrutiny, even mixed with a trace of hostility.

Irene understood instantly.

Before coming, she had learned which films would be competing with theirs today. Although the subject matter of The Patriot was completely different from theirs, they were both nominated for Best Film.

Only then did Irene recall the things Mel Gibson had caused when The Patriot was released.

Both films had now finished their theatrical runs. Mean Girls had surpassed The Patriot, on which Mel Gibson had pinned high hopes, by a narrow margin, becoming the dark horse of the box office for that period.

At the time, the media had even done a special comparison, calling it ’a youth comedy by a new-generation director staging a comeback against an old-school tough guy’s war blockbuster,’ which sparked much discussion.

It stood to reason that he harbored resentment, which was why his gaze toward her was so unfriendly.

Loren also sensed something unusual. He followed Irene’s gaze and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong? Do you know that person?"

"Mel Gibson, the lead actor of The Patriot." Irene’s voice was very soft, and she still maintained a proper smile on her face. "Our two films were released at the same time, and there was some competition in box office numbers. He’s probably unhappy about it."

Loren gently patted the back of her hand, his tone gentle but firm. "Don’t pay it any mind. Your film speaks for itself. Box office results are the outcome of the audience voting with their feet. There’s no need to pay for someone else’s emotions."

He raised his hand to adjust the collar of Irene’s jacket, naturally blocking her with his body, which just happened to block Mel’s line of sight. "Sit down. The awards ceremony is about to start. Don’t let irrelevant people affect your mood."

Irene nodded and sat down with Loren.

Afterwards, she could still occasionally feel Mel’s gaze sweeping over like thorns. Irene did not want to feel like she was sitting on pins and needles all night.

She looked back at him calmly, with no hostility in her eyes, only the composure of ’having a clear conscience.’ A few seconds later, Mel was the first to look away and took a big gulp of his wine, clearly annoyed by her composure.

Shelly, who was nearby, also noticed this scene and leaned over to whisper,

"Irene, don’t pay any attention to him. He often complained in private that Mean Girls lacked substance. Seeing you nominated for a major award now, he must be even more unbalanced. If we run into him during the awards later, let’s just try to avoid him."

"It’s fine." Irene picked up the lemonade on the table and took a sip, her tone indifferent.